Asclepias syriaca

#milkweed in the monarch butterfly garden I planted for a friend #notmygarden

The monarchs are back! #monarchcaterpillar

Yea! 💕

Day-old #monarchcaterpillar

#monarchegg

Hello, world! #monarchcaterpillar 🐛 👶🏻

that is a milkweed tussock moth not a monarch.

Thank you, @moore.794 , how would one tell the difference at the first instar? I look forward to seeing how this one turns out.

This pinpoint #monarchegg is about to hatch. I’m looking forward to the “super” generation of #monarchbutterfly that will migrate all the way to Mexico! 🇲🇽 🦋

🤗👍👍💚

Wow! That’s a long distance for such a small thing

Looks like this hungry #monarchcaterpillar has reached its #instar4 ... I’m keeping it in a plastic deli container lined with a paper towel and plenty of fresh #milkweed

You should follow @treefrog44 she has a certified butterfly habitat and can help you along if you wish

Thanks for the call out @lesliecole49 😉 we are following each other!

@mn-5a make sure you have something for it to crawl up on to make its chrysalis 😉

Thanks @lesliecole49 and @treefrog44 ! The deli container is inside a large pop-up butterfly house with mesh sides that caterpillars can climb and a zippered top to keep them safe. I also have a forked twig ready for their use. Appreciate the encouragement! 🐛 🔜 🦋

@mn-5a can't wait to see the continued progress!

I love to see the transformation💛

Ready for its closeup 🐛 #monarchcaterpillar #instar2

The little hatchling is growing bigger 🐛 #monarchcaterpillar #instar2

On Day 2, the baby #monarchcaterpillar has begun eating milkweed #monarchhostplant and showing its first stripes #instar1

... And finally the newly hatched #monarchcaterpillar made a first meal of its own #monarchegg !

Congrat on the new baby🐛! #cutiepatootie

Having rested a moment, the #monarchcaterpillar turned back ...

And voilà! The newly born #monarchcaterpillar

Ta da!

Soon the rear of the #monarchcaterpillar emerged from the #monarchegg

Then the #monarchcaterpillar wiggled its body out of the #monarchegg like a tiny jack-in-the-box...

The #monarchcaterpillar squirmed and chewed for a long time to make an opening for its head ...

I watched this #monarchegg hatch today ... pictures follow ...

The black head of a #monarchcaterpillar is about to emerge #monarchegg #monarchbutterfly 🐛

Monarch #butterfly egg #wildlifewednesday

@mn-5a this is the coolest thing I have seen in a long time

I planted a monarch garden for a friend, and now I’ll be raising caterpillars in my own garden, too! Suggestions welcome! 🐛 🦋

Congrats!🐛🐛🐛

Awesome pic! I've been growing milkweed for a few years now, I garden organically... my biggest challenge with these plants are aphids (bought ladybugs to control them) now getting hit with milkweed bugs, I am hand picking them off and dumping them in soapy water to drown... keep finding more everyday! 😥

Thanks, all, and welcome, @treefrog44, I just started following you! Aphids are a problem in my organic rose garden, too (they love rosebuds).

I have not had that problem! Whew! They only bother the milkweed, hoya, and grapevines

Monarch #butterfly #caterpillar #wildlifewednesday

#monarchcaterpillar. #monarchegg. #monarchhostplant